1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiplayer participation type gaming system that can change voice patterns outputted from a gaming machine.
2. Related Art
Commercial multiplayer participation type gaming machines through which a large number of players participate in games, so-called mass-game machines, have conventionally been known. In recent years, horse racing game machines have been known. These mass-game machines include, for example, a gaming machine body provided with a large main display unit, and a plurality of terminal devices, each having a sub display unit, mounted on the gaming machine body (for example, refer to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0123354).
The plurality of terminal devices is arranged facing the main display unit on a play area of rectangular configuration when viewed from above, and passages are formed among these terminal devices. Each of these terminal devices is provided with a seat on which a player can sit, and the abovementioned sub display unit is arranged ahead of the seat or laterally obliquely ahead of the seat so that the player can view the sub display unit. This enables the player sitting on the seat to view the sub display unit, while viewing the main display unit placed ahead of the seat.
On the other hand, dialogue controllers configured to speak in response to the user's speech, and control the dialogue with the user, have been disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publications Nos. 2007/0094004, 2007/0094005, 2007/0094006, 2007/0094007 and 2007/0094008. It can be considered that when this type of dialogue controller is mounted on the mass-game machine, the player can interactively participate in a game, further enhancing the player's enthusiasm.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0033040 discloses a system and method of identifying the language of an information source and extracting the information contained in the information source. Equipping the above system on the mass-game machine enables handling of multi-language dialogues. This makes it possible for the players of different countries to participate in games, further enhancing the enthusiasm of the players.
However, the dialogue controller generally outputs reply sentences with a fixed voice pattern. Thus, when such a dialogue controller is mounted on the mass-game machine to have a conversation in response to a user's speech, if the voice pattern of the dialogue controller is monotonous, it is possible to weaken the enthusiasm of players.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a commercial multiplayer participation type gaming machine that further enhancing the enthusiasm of players by mounting a dialogue controller on a mass-game machine to change voice patterns according to a player's status.